George R. R. Martin

The new season of “Game of Thrones” already had its British premiere at the Tower of London and will have its North American premiere starting at 6 p.m. Pacific time on Monday at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. You can watch coverage from the red carpet below. For the rest of us, the show doesn’t return on HBO until April 12. To those jonesing for some more dragon action, that can seem like a lifetime away — especially in terms of brutally short Westerosi lives. But just because you can’t see the new season early, doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to prepare. If past seasons have taught us anything, it’s that the narrative of this HBO series is so densely packed and richly layered that any amount of additional information will allow the story to pass […]

The new key art for the “Game of Thrones” fifth season has arrived to help promote the upcoming fifth season of HBO’s epic fantasy. Set to premiere April 12, the new season of the wildly popular series adapted from the work of author George R.R. Martin will introduce a large roster of new characters as it continues to follow the mixed fortunes of the key houses of Westeros. The provocative image shows the looming figure of a dragon in the mist looking down over Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) aboard a ship. A recent trailer for the season showcased an interesting conversation between Tyrion and Varys (Conleth Hill), suggesting that the disgraced dwarf might help the Seven Kingdoms install the right monarch on the Iron Throne. “The Seven Kingdoms needs a ruler loved by millions with a powerful army and the […]

An epic new trailer for the “Game of Thrones” fifth season has arrived along with a selection of new images from the wildly popular HBO fantasy series adapted from the work of author George R.R. Martin. HBO officially released the trailer Friday after a pirated version had surfaced online just hours after the clip made its debut at special Imax “Game of Thrones” screenings, where digitally remastered versions of Season 4’s final two episodes — “The Watchers on the Wall,” about Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and the Battle of Castle Black, and “The Children,” which sees Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) face off against the Hound (Rory McCann) — were shown on the large-format screen. The episodes are currently screening at more than 200 Imax theaters across the country, and are scheduled to play through Feb. 5. The trailer includes a […]

Teenage girls rarely make the wisest decisions when it comes to first love. Few people understand that fact as well as Sophie Turner, who plays the eldest daughter of House Stark on HBO’s wildly popular “Game of Thrones.” During the series’ four seasons, Sansa Stark has found herself paying dearly for her affection for Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), the sadistic boy king — watching him order her father beheaded, enduring his cruelty at court, fearing for her safety when he threw her over for Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). (Anyone not current with the series might be advised to stop reading now — spoilers ahead.) So, is it fair to say that Sansa took some delight in the fact that Joffrey met with a grim fate at his own nuptials, an event known in the lore of the show as the […]

There’s no question that the biggest news to come out of Friday’s “Game of Thrones” Comic-Con International panel was the announcement of the nine new actors who would be joining the cast of HBO’s acclaimed fantasy series in its fifth season. But one of the most intriguing comments made during the hourlong session that focused mostly on audience Q&A was from the lips of Maisie Williams (who earlier in the day had been touted as a potential lead in the upcoming “The Last of Us” movie adaptation). Near the end of the presentation, she was asked about her character Arya Stark’s journey and how she viewed her alter-ego’s evolution. “She is no one,” Williams said, receiving cheers from the audience members familiar with the George R.R. Martin novels that inspired the series. The statement, though seemingly innocuous, suggests that Arya’s […]

The world of “Game of Thrones” will be seeing some new faces in Season 5, including venerable actor Jonathan Pryce, who will join the series as a religious leader with a devout (and possibly dangerous) following. During the Friday afternoon panel presentation at San Diego’s Comic-Con International, the creators and cast of HBO’s wildly popular series revealed that nine new actors will be joining the ensemble, as the television narrative adapted from author George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels expands into the world of Dorne, the homeland of the Red Viper, Oberyn Martell. Alexander Siddig will play Doran Martell, the ruler of Dorne and older brother to Prince Oberyn, who met with a grim fate during the show’s most recent season. Toby Sebastian will play Trystane Martell, Doran’s son, the heir to Dorne who’s betrothed to […]

His name may be mostly associated with fantasy these days, thanks to HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” but George R.R. Martin and comic books go way back. Way, way back. “I’m actually the first comic book fan,” Martin told the crowd at a Comic-Con panel dedicated to his comic book work on Thursday. As a young comic fan in 1964, Martin attended the first comic book convention ever held in New York City, attended by what he remembers as 30 people. He met Flo Steinberg and Steve Ditko there, but more importantly, he said, he was first in line and received a badge designated “#1.” “All of you are my children,” the author told the crowd. “God help me.” While the discussion never strayed into the current status of “The Winds of Winter,” the highly anticipated sixth book in the “Song […]

What’s better than giving Dad a tie for Father’s Day? How about a gift (shot) from the heart? (Spoilers, people. Beware if you haven’t yet seen last night’s season finale, “The Children,” for this post will be littered with them.) HBO’s wildly successful “Game of Thrones” has never balked at killing off major characters, but the Season 4 send-off added in a special patricide twist, much appreciated by the revenge-hungry fans on Twitter. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), finally recognizing that Tywin (Charles Dance) will never show him a sliver of true respect, wastes his father with a crossbow while the old guy’s still in the privy. This deed is done right after Tyrion strangles his former lover Shae (Sibel Kekilli, who spoke about her demise here) with the very necklace he once lovingly bestowed on her. To understand Tyrion’s turn to violence, read Hero Complex’s interview with […]

“Game of Thrones” has long warned us that all men must die — but they never said all lions. (Here be spoilers: If you haven’t watched last night’s season finale, “The Children,” please bookmark this post for later.) Adapted from the bestselling novels of George R.R. Martin, HBO’s sprawling drama, the most watched in the cable network’s history, is known for ending seasons on a shocking note, and last night’s cap-off to Season 4 was no different. The silver-tongued Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) finally escapes death — but not without paying a price. Ever since Joffrey’s wedding, where Tyrion was blamed for the poisoning of his psychotic nephew-king, the Master of Coin has been heading for a beheading. But in the 11th hour, he escapes from prison with the help of his brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Not content to leave things be, Tyrion wants to have one last conversation with his […]

George R.R. Martin has joined Twitter, but as with the characters he writes, it’s probably best not to get too attached. In his first and only tweet, the author, whose “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels serve as the basis for HBO’s blockbuster fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” says, “I don’t tweet all that much” and urges readers to visit his LiveJournal. Martin kicked off that blog nine years ago with a similar warning: “Days, weeks, and even months may go by with no new entries,” he wrote in the first post. “It probably means I’m busy doing stuff.” He titled the blog “Not a Blog,” emphasizing, “I don’t have time” to write one. He was true to his word. The next post went up more than three months later. QUIZ: Test your ‘Thrones’ knowledge In recent months, his […]